The Hunger Games

by: Suzanne Collins

I had heard so many high remarks about this book/series. People I know have read it and loved it so I thought I would give it a try. I waited awhile because there is a long waiting list at the library but I finally got it. When I was at the library I saw on their board that this book is also a controversial book. Parents tried to have the book banned because it is too violent for teens to read. Now that I have read it I definitely would not have my 13 year old read the book but High School age I would. Maybe 15+ (just thinking of my daughter). Especially since my take on the book seems to be different than others I know that have read it. Then I heard that my 12 year old niece is reading it for school, I was surprised, it is their mandatory reading this year! Not sure I would like that!

Hunger Games...this story is about an earth somewhat different than it is now. There are 13 colonies. Panem was the main colony that ran the earth but the other 12 tried to rise up again Panem and lost. Panem destroyed one of the colonies and now to make sure that the last 11 of the colonies will not rise up again against Panem they created the hunger games.

Once a year 2 children, one boy and one girl, ages 12-18 from each colony have their names placed into a drawing for the hunger games. 24 children in all are chosen and then pinned against each other in a man built coliseum to kill each other! Because it is still a version of earth as it is now, they televise the games on t.v. and bid on who the winner will be! It's a sporting even to those in Panem while the rest of the world is watching. Either thankful that that their child wasn't chosen or watching their child be killed, live!

They go through training and learning how to survive on their own. Each of them is shown off to the world to receive sponsors who can send them gifts through out the game as well. It's the Capitals way of showing the world that they can take their children and more if they wanted to!

I had a hard time with this book. I do like the writing, I did like the story up until the games began. I could have taken the story as gladiators fighting for their lives or a type of games where in the end you are out of the game but not killed. But the idea that children are pinned against each other to kill each other was hard for me to read.

For the most part there wasn't much description on their deaths or gore. But at the end of the book it was more gruesome. Now that I have read book one I do want to read the rest to find out what actually happens but I'm sorry to say that I would not actually recommend this book. Don't just take my word for it but I just had a hard time with it!